Runtime.JS

Runtime.JS is a kernel built on V8 JavaScript engine. It uses event-driven and non-blocking I/O model inspired by Node.js.

The goal of this project is to design and implement a kernel that is optimized to run JavaScript applications. By providing environment for JavaScript code only, it is possible to rethink kernel design to improve security, reliability and performance of the system.

It's currently under development and does not include many essential features. If you want to contribute, your help is very welcome.

You can use issues section to ask any questions or share your ideas https://github.com/runtimejs/runtime/issues

Join IRC chatroom #runtimejs on freenode

Technical details

Kernel architecture

• supported x86_64, 64 bit only
• software isolated applications (isolates)
• single address space, no hardware context switches
• does not use cpu protection rings
• non-blocking asynchronous inter-isolate communication (IIC)
• drivers and system services are implemented in JavaScript
• low-level kernel services are written in C++11

Status

####What's done

• V8 isolates
• multitasking (cooperative only)
• Inter-isolate communication using RPC
• embedded ACPICA for ACPI support
• simple keyboard and VGA display drivers
• shell and some basic applications
• PCI bus driver device detection
• virtio-net driver

####Planned

• network stack
• virtual file system
• virtio drivers for storage and network

Build

####Prerequisites

• gcc 4.8 or newer cross compiler (target x86_64-elf)
• fasm
• scons

Warning: gcc 4.9.0 is not supported because of libc++ compile bug (use 4.9.1 or newer)

####Using Docker

Easiest way to setup developer environment is to use Docker https://www.docker.io/

./docker-prepare.sh

To build

./docker-build.sh

####Without Docker

You need to install fasm, scons and GCC cross compiler targeting x86_64-elf. http://wiki.osdev.org/GCC_Cross-Compiler

To build

scons

####Run using QEMU (recommended version >= 2.0.0)

./qemu.sh

####Try prebuilt binaries in QEMU

Download latest runtime and initrd files from releases page https://github.com/runtimejs/runtime/releases

Run

qemu-system-x86_64                                \
    -m 512                                        \
    -smp 1                                        \
    -kernel runtime                               \
    -initrd initrd                                \
    -serial stdio

Documentation

Wiki pages

License

Apache License, Version 2.0